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Boat stereo systems

  • 10 Jun 2013 18:03
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    Reply # 1313769 on 1213003
    Anonymous member
    I have a TA2020 based T-Amp and can highly recommend it, the sound quality is excellent for its price.
  • 07 Jun 2013 08:34
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    Reply # 1311420 on 1213003
    Anonymous member (Administrator)

                                                                           Stavanger, Friday

    Me neither had heard about these class T amplifiers. Now that my hearing is less useful for music, I had lost interest in Hifi. Still I think these amps must be a big improvement. Actually they are a logical step from many of the DC /AC converters ( for instance 12VDC to 220VAC) that has become available during the last 10 – 15 years, as they use much the same design principles. So now, with LED for lights and class T-amplifiers, the struggle for keeping the boat batteries topped up will be made much easier. Progress!

    Cheers, Arne
  • 07 Jun 2013 01:54
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    Reply # 1311252 on 1213003
    Anonymous member

    A few days out from Kaua'i on my recent passage, I took advantage of the gentle conditions to fix up the Temple Audio Bantam “T amp” Hifi amplifier that I’d brought back from the UK. With input from the iPad, and output to the pair of 6 ½” Audio Nirvana speakers that I’d already installed, I now have about as good a sound system as can be expected  on a small yacht, at absolutely minimal power consumption. I can scarcely measure the current that the amplifier is drawing. A great improvement over the car radio and speakers that I’d had previously, and I can listen to good music without fretting about the state of the battery.

    Highly recommended for those of us whose boat is their home.
  • 25 Feb 2013 18:53
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    Reply # 1225956 on 1213003
    Anonymous member
    Karlis,
    Thanks for this idea. I've been out of touch with the HiFi world since I became a boat-dweller, and hadn't heard about these amplifiers.

    Doing some research, it seems that it would indeed be a very good way to go. The most suitable one for boat use that I can find is the Temple Audio Bantam 'Classic'. It works on 12v supply, its quiescent current draw is only <60mA and its maximum current draw is 1A (compared to my cheap car radio, which draws half an amp from zero volume up to my usual listening level, and then much more above that). Independent reviews rate it very highly. 

    It seems that iPhone/iPod/iPad devices send out a very high quality signal from their headphone socket. Connected to one of these amplifiers and then to a pair of high quality car speakers, you will get the best sound that you can expect to get, aboard a boat with limited space and limited power supply.

    I'm tempted. Since I went out of range of BBC Radio Three and Four, I've found very little to listen to on the radio, and mostly I play CDs. I have a drawer full of 200+ CDs, all of which are backed up on my computer and iPad, because they are vulnerable to damage. When the ship's batteries are low, I listen to music on my iPad with good headphones, but I'd rather listen on my pair of Alpine DDDrive speakers. So if I got a Bantam amplifier to place between the iPad and the speakers, I'd have a high quality, low current draw sound system. And I could put my CD collection into storage.
  • 24 Feb 2013 09:54
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    Reply # 1225064 on 1213003
    Deleted user
    thank you for your thoughts!
  • 21 Feb 2013 01:32
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    Reply # 1216737 on 1213003
    Anonymous member
    Car systems are often not optimized for low power usage. If you're running on power on solar panels instead of a big car engine, you might consider something else.

    If you can find them (lots on ebay or at electronic store), a tripath or class T (actually class D) amp is cheap, and has a very high efficiency. If you couple this with an efficient set of speakers you can run a nice sound setup on very small amounts of power, like a few AA batteries. The t amps often come with only a audio-in jack but some have a USB or flash card, so you can put all your music on USB keys or flash cards. You can also find the amps without cases but on your boat you'd probably want a case to mount it with.

    There's a good intro on the subject you might find useful:
    http://www.instructables.com/id/Battery-Powered-Mobile-Party-Sound-Systems/
  • 20 Feb 2013 17:50
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    Reply # 1213354 on 1213003
    Anonymous member
    Any car radio will do the job. They usually have two +ve leads, one is meant to go direct to the battery via a fuse, one goes to a switch on the distribution board. That way, the memory of presets is maintained when the radio is switched off. The smart way to carry canned music aboard is to buy a set with a slot for a USB memory stick or an MP3 player, so that you don't have to carry CDs. 

    In the yacht chandlers, there are sets with waterproof fronts and waterproof speakers - not strictly necessary if you have a dry cabin.
  • 20 Feb 2013 10:17
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    Reply # 1213072 on 1213003
    Anonymous member
    I've fitted a GME stereo/cd player plus speakers in Redwing. All the leads were labelled it was fairly easy to hook up. I bought a splash proof case to fit the stereo in as well. What are you having trouble with?
  • 20 Feb 2013 10:17
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    Reply # 1213071 on 1213003
    Deleted user
    Georg Warnecke wrote:anyone put a stereo plus speakers into his boat?
    i wonder how to do this?
    If you have a 12V battery, a car stereo.. or if you have an laptop, iPod or iPhone, find 12V docking speakers that accepts them.
    Last modified: 20 Feb 2013 10:19 | Deleted user
  • 20 Feb 2013 06:44
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    Message # 1213003
    Deleted user
    anyone put a stereo plus speakers into his boat?
    i wonder how to do this?
    Last modified: 20 Feb 2013 15:59 | Deleted user
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